I mean I remember growing up as a jw and then 15 baptized adults years, and every year all the jw's would say something to the effect, "lets go look at all the pretty lights", or they would tell their neighbors that they really liked their lights. And I remember teaching my kids the same thing, that it's ok to look at the lights (but not ok to like anything else about x-mas, oh regrets!) Doesn't that seem weird or something? Isn't it suppose to be wrong? How did we tell our kids that x-mas was evil and yet say that looking at the lights was great?! Seriously I don't get it. My boss told me today that her jw neighbor said to her the other day that she always loves her lights every year...........what?! I just thought you guys could help me out here. I've seen the most devout jw love and admire the x-mas lights every year without it bothering their conscious. It almost has a condescending tone. Any thoughts?...........wf
What's with JW's and X-mas lights?..........
by awildflower 16 Replies latest jw experiences
-
-
cantleave
My wife and I used to give the lights marks out of ten. I guess the answer to your question is deep down every likes the decorations. They do cheer the dreary winter nights up.
-
Balsam
I think it was because it was something we could look at appreciate but not do ourselves. I wasn't raised a JW so when I became a JW I loved the Christmas light and I didn't care they were pagan or not. LOL I don't recall other JW's even mentioning them.
-
VoidEater
It's really dependent on the person...I have relatives that are viscerally creeped out by them. They just see them as utterly evil. Maybe it's a case of potesting too much, I don't know.
But as for the ones that not-so-secretly enjoy them? Hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance!
-
chickpea
i am chucklin' out loud here...
hot chocolate and a drive thru the
WHOLE town ( took about an hour)
so my kids could see the lights...some we ooooh'd and ahhhhh'd over...
some we scratched our heads and
wondered out loud if someone might
just have pitched a string of lights
off the porch and called it "good"...this year, there is 300 (coloured) light string
across the part of the house that faces the road...
tastefully outlining the door and 2 windows
(a neighbour up the hill told my son, who works
in his store, that it is the first he has seen us decorate
and he thought it was very nicely done)
supposed to blink but i think they are too cold...we always thought the lights were pretty...
now i tell the kids, grown or all but grown,
to do what they WANT to do to make the
season of holidays meaningful to them.... -
WTWizard
Around here, the "sun worship" lights were viewed as inherently evil, and it was "dangerous" to even look at them. I have heard them being bashed as being a fire hazard (LED lights are about as fire dangerous as your alarm clock), a waste of electricity (a string of LED lights uses about 4.8 watts, or about the same as your alarm clock), and a waste of time to set up. Anyone that was caught driving around to enjoy the lights on purpose was viewed about the same as anyone that would listen to Christmas carols on purpose.
For those with a more moderate viewpoint, looking at the lights would break up the drudgery of the day. It got dark early, and those lights helped light things up when the sun was on vacation. They also provided a little something to look forward to while in field circus, between that and seeing the "sun worship" tree all nicely lit with about 10,000 presents wrapped and sitting underneath it. I wonder how long it will be before the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger puts out something explicitly banning it, placing enjoyment of the sun-worship lights in the same category as supporting the setting them up, or even setting them up yourself.
At which time they had better not come anywhere near my place, because my "sun worship" lights will be ready for them. And yes, I enjoy setting up "sun worship" lights far more than wasting the same amount of time in field circus, and the money spent on them is better spent than wasting it on the Worldwide Pedophile Defense Fund. And, as for energy, at least I am not wasting gas spreading the cancer into the territory.
-
chicken little
We have a cottage in Sweden, last year was our first x-mass and we put up lights in November. Our neighbor had lights up too and I said how lovely it was to finally have christmas lights up. They look bewildered at me and said, " its not just for christmas, lights here are part of getting through the dark winter, we do this to lighten up the grey days". I was so taken back, of course it makes sense when you live in these parts of the world. I remember feeling depressed when I was a witness when the lights went up, I loved them but felt we just had to get through this time and then the bad feelings would go away. I was suffering from cd and didn't realize it. Now I have them at home in town as well as in Sweden, when we get the witness knock at the door I shall smile and tell them it is light therapy prescribed for winter depression. We have the world famous Tivoli here and that is a sight to see at Christmas!
-
moomanchu
My dad and mom say "the lights help Jehovah know which people to destroy".
-
delilah
That's strange...my mom always said, every year...."Wow, the world is sure going crazy with their Christmas decorations this year...it must mean that armageddon is ever close".
gag....
-
Mickey mouse
My parents would always say "Satan makes sure his traps are attractive".